1. Academic Programs
  2. Master’s Programs
  3. Master of Environmental Management — MEM
  4. MEM Specializations
  5. Climate Change Science and Solutions Specialization

Climate Change Science and Solutions Specialization

Human-induced climate change is one of the main drivers of the Anthropocene. The physical science of the earth's climate and its sensitivity to pollution is remarkably complex and an area of intense study. The resulting perturbations to the earth system permeate through and impact ecological and human systems.

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    Note that a capstone course used to fulfill the MEM capstone requirement cannot also be used toward fulfilling an MEM Specialization requirement; a capstone course taken once cannot be used to fulfill multiple requirements. Learn more about YSE capstone courses by visiting the MEM Capstone page.

    Program Courses

    Core

    Two required courses.
    Course Fall 2024 Spring 2025 Fall 2025 Spring 2026
    ENV 630
    The Physical Science of Climate Change         		  Raymond
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		   Raymond
    ENV 840
    Climate Change Policy and Perspectives         		Klee
    M,W 1:00-2:20    		   Klee  

    Elective

    Students must complete four elective courses, one of which must be from the “Practicums and Seminars” bin. The remaining three courses may come from any of the four bins.

    Climate Mitigation

    Course Fall 2024 Spring 2025 Fall 2025 Spring 2026
    ENV 568
    Geoengineering in the Context of Climate Overshoot (Fall-1 Aug 28-Oct 11)         		Smith
    W 4:00-6:50    		          
    ENV 588
    Climate Tech Innovation and Commercialization         		  Faculty
    Tu 2:40-5:40    		        
    ENV 594
    Global Carbon Cycle         		Denning
    M,W 9:00-10:20    		   Denning  
    ENV 610
    Managing Ecosystems for Climate Change Solutions         		Brando
    Tu,Th 1:00-2:20    		   Brando  
    ENV 614
    GHG Accounting: Practical Methods         		  White
    Tu 2:30-3:50    		        
    ENV 635
    Renewable Energy Project Finance         		  Gross
    Tu,Th 9:00-10:20    		   Gross
    ENV 636
    Carbon Dioxide Removal         		O’Rourke
    M 2:30-5:20    		          
    ENV 646
    Regenerative Agriculture Systems         		  Wood
    Tu 2:30-5:20    		   Wood
    ENV 696
    YFF:Tribal Forestry:         		  Dunning
    Th 12:00-1:50    		   Dunning
    ENV 697
    Science for Policy and Practice: A Seminar         		  Bradford
    Tu 1:00-2:20    		        
    ENV 716
    Renewable Energy         		  Oristaglio
    Tu,Th 1:00-2:15    		   Oristaglio
    Tentative
    ENV 730
    Environmental Data Science in R: Introduction to Data Integration and Machine Learning         		Malone
    Tu 2:30-5:20    		   Malone  
    ENV 800
    Energy Economics and Policy Analysis         		  Gillingham
    M,W 1:00-2:20    		   Gillingham
    ENV 814
    Energy Systems Analysis         		Rao
    M,W 9:00-10:20    		   Rao  
    ENV 857
    Financing Climate Change Adaptation in Developing Countries         		        Kurukulasuriya
    Tentative    		  
    ECON 331
    The Economics of Energy and Climate Change    		        
    EPS 274
    Fossil Fuels and Energy Transitions    		        
    EPS 725
    Geoengineering and Carbon Capture    		        
    ENAS 673
    Air Quality and Energy    		        
    GLBL 730
    Managing the Clean Energy Transition: Contemporary Energy and Climate Change Policy Making    		        

    Climate Impacts and Adaptation

    Course Fall 2024 Spring 2025 Fall 2025 Spring 2026
    ENV 639
    Food Systems and Climate Services         		Hernandez-Aguilera
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		   Hernandez-Aguilera  
    ENV 645
    Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability         		Seto
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		   Seto  
    ENV 705
    Global Climate Change: Simple, Serious, and Solvable         		Denning
    M,W 1:00-2:15    		   Denning  
    ENV 725
    Water, Energy, and Food Interconnections in a Changing Climate         		  Saiers
    Tu,Th 10:30-11:50    		   Saiers
    ENV 734
    Biological Oceanography         		  Decker
    M,W 1:00-2:15    		   Decker
    ENV 748
    Wildlife Movement and Migration under Global Change Scenarios         		Harris
    Tu 2:30-5:20    		          
    ENV 773
    Air Pollution Control (APC)         		Gentner
    Tu,Th 2:30-3:45    		   Gentner
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 791
    Climate Adaptation         		  Mach
    M 2:30-5:20    		        
    ENV 793
    Abrupt Climate Change and Societal Collapse         		  Weiss
    Th 9:25-11:15    		   Weiss
    Tentative
    ENV 817
    Urban, Suburban, and Regional Planning Practice         		Kooris
    W 4:00-6:50    		          
    ENV 819
    Measuring and Visualizing Urban Environments         		  Salazar Miranda
    Th 2:30-5:20    		   Salazar Miranda
    ENV 828
    Risk Assessment & Management: Climate Change         		  Wargo
    M,W 1:00-2:20    		   Wargo
    EHS 547
    Climate Change and Public Health    		        
    EHS 547
    Climate Change and Public Health    		        
    EPH 571
    Seminar in Climate Change and Health    		        
    EPS 140
    Atmosphere, Ocean, and Environmental Change    		        

    Climate & Society

    Course Fall 2024 Spring 2025 Fall 2025 Spring 2026
    ENV 621
    The Ministry for the Future: Exploring The Science and Politics of Climate Solutions through Fiction         		Sanford
    W 1:00-3:50    		          
    ENV 642
    Environmental Justice/Climate Justice         		Torres
    M,W 10:30-11:50    		          
    ENV 761
    Negotiating International Agreements: The Case of Climate Change         		Biniaz
    M 1:30-3:20    		   Biniaz
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 774
    "Framing" Climate Migration: Science, Policy, Ethics & Politics of a Growing Crisis         		  Gelobter
    Tu 2:30-5:20    		        
    ENV 794
    Climate Ethics: Principles and Model Applications         		  Rao
    Tu 1:00-2:20    		        
    ENV 850
    International Organizations and Conferences         		Boyd
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		   Boyd  
    ENV 878
    Climate and Society: Past to Present         		Dove
    Th 1:30-3:20    		   Dove  
    ANTH 791
    Paleoclimate and Human Response    		        
    ECON 432
    Economics of Social Catastrophes: Climate Change and Pandemics    		        
    HIST 459J (Yale College course)
    Climate Change and the Humanities    		        

    Practicums and Seminar Classes

    Course Fall 2024 Spring 2025 Fall 2025 Spring 2026
    ENV 582
    Natural Climate Solutions in Agricultural Landscapes: Topics in Enhanced Rock Weathering         		  Almaraz
    M 12:00-12:50 Webinar: 1:00-1:50 Discussion    		        
    ENV 632
    Intro to Social Entrepreneurship         		          Chahine
    Tentative
    ENV 686
    Synthesizing Science for Policy and Practice         		Bradford
    M 9:00-10:20    		          
    ENV 701
    Seminar on Climate Change Economics         		  Mendelsohn
    M,W 10:30-11:50    		        
    ENV 829
    Pathways to a Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Future (First Class meets August 27)         		Esty
    Tu 4:00-6:50    		          
    ENV 959
    Clinic in Climate Justice, and Public Health         		Faculty
    Th 1:00-2:50    		   Faculty
    Tentative    		  
    ENV 960
    Urban Climate Solutions Capstone: Freetown, Sierra Leone Clinic         		  Seto
    Tu 1:00-3:50    		        
    ENV 966
    Sustainability Implementation: Change Management in Institutional Settings         		Smiley Smith
    Th 9:00-11:50    		   Smiley Smith  
    ENV 970
    Environmental Protection Clinic Policy and Advocacy (Follows Law School Calendar)         		Kysar
    Tu 12:10-2:00    		 Kysar
    Tu 12:10-2:00    		 Kysar
    Tentative    		 Kysar
    Tentative
    ENV 979
    Climate Solutions Capstone: Sub-National Actors         		          Klee
    ENV 990
    Climate, Animals, Food, and Environment Law & Policy Lab — Pre-Registration Deadline: TBD         		        Kysar
    Tentative    		 Kysar
    Tentative
    Climate Change Illustration

    Learning Community

    There is a corresponding “Learning Community” for each MEM Specialization, where anyone interested in the topic can find related news, spotlights, colleagues, and events.

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